Traditional water system, Nepal
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| Name | Traditional water system | |
| Country | Nepal | |
| City | Patan | |
| Authors | Neha Shrestha | |
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Rationale: Why is this case interesting?
Please explain in short why this site has green infrastructure potential and what makes it special (150 words approx)
Patan (Lalitpur) metropolitan city is one of the largest cities in Nepal with the area of 15.43 square kilometer. Due to its growing population Patan is facing severe water scarcity. Besides from investigating the possibilities to increase the municipal supply from alternative sources, the scarcity of water has made them to re-think, conserve and revive the traditional water system which was built with knowledge, intelligence and skills. These water system were established in such a way that they could serve the population both in quality and quantity throughout the year. It uses special techniques locating the water sources and bringing it to the site. On the other hand people are forgetting their traditional sustainable system and adopting modern mismatch system because of this negligence the traditional water system are drying up or reduced. So it is very important to conserve the water system in terms to protect our indigenous traditional water system and providing the local the alternative source of water for their daily use.
Author's perspective
what is your professional/educational background and your relation to the site?
I am studying landscape architecture with Architecture as my professional background. I have practiced as architect in my home land but have not yet practiced as landscape architecture in a professional field. This site concerns me as it belongs to my country and has been facing similar problem relating my home town. The town is implementing some projects to conserve traditional water system and to diminish the water problem which can also be a good example for my home area.
Landscape and/or urban context of your case
- Biogeography, cultural features, overall character, history and dynamics
History and dynamics
The construction of water systems can be linked to early settlements of Kirats who used ponds and springs in the tar lands and hill slopes. Later Lichchhavies connected the ponds and spouts to discharge water from stone spouts. 58 water spouts were constructed in Patan and its surroundings of which 4 are dry and 7 do not exist. Most of the spouts are located in the core of historic settlements. The oldest spout found in Patan is at Mangal Bazaar known as Manga hiti built in 570 AD. Massive water works were established during the period of Lichchhavies and extended during Malla rule. The canals and ponds were improved by Ranas as well. Several drains were covered by Ranas with brick arch canals. The whole water system was not established during the time of single king but was successively added and improved during the time of Lichchhavies and their successor Mallas.
Biogeography
The city of Patan is located on the northern sloppy terrain of Phulchwoki, the southern hills of Kathmandu valley. One component of water system known as pukhu (pond) which is used to store water for this water system is very important in terms of ecosystem. The ponds are has rich diversity of flora and fauna especially the Lotus. The pond is habitat for ducks and fishes. On the other hand it also supports agriculture and supplies water to human life.
Overall character
The traditional water system consists of 5 major components. • The intake; • The conveyance system – surface or sub- surface water flow channels; • Water storing or recharging bodies – pukhus (ponds); • Water conduits – the spouts and wells; • The drainage system. The water system especially (stone spouts, wells, ponds) acts as domestic house hold purpose to supply water for the people. It is used for people for drinking as well as washing purpose. It also serves for irrigation purpose.
Cultural features
During ancient period the people used to worship source of water and managed them according to the situation. The cultural linkage to traditional water system still exists in Lalitpur. The stone spouts one of the traditional water system not only resembles the engineered water conduits but also lavishly designed religious master piece of architecture. The water spouts consists of beautifully carved crocodile head (crocodile or makara in Sanskrit is the vehicle of Ganga, the Goddess of water) which is considered as holy water animal with water pouring out of the mouth and few idols of water related gods, creatures, properly located with their religious beliefs and functions. The water from these water spouts is considered as pure and holy and is used for daily religious activities, rituals for temples and shrines. There is also a strong belief that water from certain spouts has medicinal qualities so some baidyas (Ayurvedic homeopathic medicinal practitioners) use water for treating diseases. People believe Cleaning water spouts makes god happy and every ever year during various occasions people clean and maintain the water spout complex.
- Illustrations: maps; sketches; short descriptive analyses
The spatial location, the functionality, the religious use and cultural hierarchy, are some of the important aspects of stone spouts in Patan. The water spouts and dug wells are primary sources of water for domestic purpose. The water spout complex is constructed in a large pit on the ground which makes the sources of water from local aquifer or natural sub-surface flow or manmade channel to transmit from the convenient collection. The complex consists of one or more stone spouts based on water discharge and number of users. The water in the water spouts were provided by bifurcating the main source into several outlets or different aquifer sources to minimize the risk of drying the water spout. These are fed by rainwater collected in aquifers (layers of permeable rock, sand or gravel through which ground water flows). These aquifers should be special formation of geography on the slopes which made possible to store water in the sand reservoir.
The ponds are built as reservoirs nearby to recharge these aquifers to maintain the flow of water even during the dry seasons. These ponds in turn are supplied water from rajkulos, the canal system built to provide water for everyday use, irrigate farmlands and fill the ponds. Before supplying to water spout the water were filtrate using sands of various grading, gravel and even charcoal. Various designs were adopted for the sand filter for the treatment of water. The filtered water was provided in a spout or in a distribution vessel to distribute water. The distribution vessel may be provided with holes at different levels so that the lowest connection provides adequate flow. The joints are sealed with impermeable clay lining. The stone spouts are centrally located on one or more side walls hanging about a meter so that the water can be fetched directly in water vessel.
Drainage of stone spouts is another important part of water system. The base platform for the complex is normally paved in stone with side drain. The drain outlets are provided to discharge the water out of the settlement. In some cases they are collected in the ponds for different purposes. The outlet is normally taken out of settlement for irrigation purpose.
The dug well collects the water from the aquifer. Unlike water spouts the dug wells are not directly linked with ponds and water canal however the destruction of ponds and water canal affects in infiltration of water in the wells.
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Analytical drawings
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The traditional has potentiality in respect to multi functionality and sustainability. This system is used for different purpose and because of its natural and skilled construction it is more sustainable. But due to absence of ownership the traditional water supply system is falling down gradually and slowly both in local and city level. Also the lands which were kept by the state for ecological and historical purpose are seized by the authoritative people in the government or brought in use with other purposes. Many of these lands have been encroached by community institutions like schools, clubs, neighborhood organizations etc for extra ecological purposes. The pond and the peripheries of the pond are being encroached by community, public buildings, bus parks etc. the leakage of the sewage networks are causing eutrification damaging the pond ecosystem with waste of excessive growth of vegetation.
The water spouts provide water for all households living in the locality and nearby areas. The use of this water system was reduced when Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC) started to supply water from private tap system and thus the heritage site slowly turned into a dumping site. But due to increase in population the NSWC started to supply water intermittently and even failed to supply water to this area in according to schedule. So the people are forced to depend on the traditional water sources.
Due to different construction activities the supply of water to the water spouts are being disturbed. The construction of foundation for large buildings, construction of drainage and pipelines crossing the flow of path of aquifers are the major causes of flow reduction in some water spouts causing obstruction to natural flow, infiltration of the aquifer water into the drain and exfiltration of the sewage into the water spouts.
However it was difficult to fetch water from the existing spout due to increase in population on one hand and the flow of water had decreased from the spout on the other. People need to spend more than 5-6 hours a day to fetch the water. People from neighboring areas also depend on same spout as they also failed to get water from NWSC (Nepal Water Supply Corporation). This causes disputes between the different communities during water collection and in addition most of the people are taking bath and washing clothes in the spout which caused problem in the spout in terms of cleanliness. Elderly people show their disagreement to use the water from same filthy water spout as they need to follow their daily ritual with pure clean water.
- Analytical Drawings
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Green Infrastructure benefits for this site
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Potential for multifunctionality
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Projective drawings
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- And how could it look like in 10-15 years?
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Summary and conclusion
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Image Gallery
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References
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